Bengaluru, Dec 15: Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his Savarkar barb, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday termed him and his family members as "fake Gandhis".

He also accused the Congress and other "so called secular parties" of trying to project the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as a Hindu-Muslim issue with an intention to create unrest in the country.

"Rahul Gandhi has said he was not Rahul Savarkar.. it is impossible for you to become Rahul Savarkar," Joshi said.

Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, he said, "as per convenience you enter into an understanding with anyone, you can become Rahul Uddhav Thackrey- we all know what all words you have used against him and what you have done now."

"You (Rahul) become whatever you want, but speaking against a patriot like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar shows the frustration of Congress... they are all nakli (fake) Gandhis- Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Vadra Gandhi- only they can speak such things about others," he added.

Under fire from the BJP over his 'rape in India' remark, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he will die but never apologise for speaking truth as he was a Gandhi and not a Savarkar, remarks that drew immediate disapproval from new- found ally Shiv Sena which said the Hindutva icon should not be insulted.

Alleging the "so called secular parties" were trying to instigate violence in the country, Joshi clarified that the Citizenship Amendment Act has nothing to do with stripping anyone of their citizenship, but about providing it.

"Our neighboring Islamic countries, where religious persecutions are occurring against minorities- if they (minorities of those countries) come to India- this will provide citizenship to them.

Congress was indulging in evil tricks of playing it up as a Hindu-Muslim issue," he alleged.

CAA was not an Hindu-Muslim issue at all, but providing citizenship to those who are in this country without it for years together, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

Claiming that people who came from Uganda, Bangladesh, and also Sri Lankan Tamils had earlier been granted citizenship, he said if anyone from other countries apply, the government will look into it.

After the Narendra Modi led government came to power, 550 minority refugees were given citizenship, he said.

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Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): Hearing in the defamation case involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which was scheduled to take place on Monday at the MP-MLA Court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur district, could not take place due to the non-appearance of the plaintiff Vijay Mishra.

The court will now hear this matter on March 27.

Santosh Kumar Pandey, the advocate of the plaintiff, on Monday said that he had submitted a formal application to the court during the previous hearing.

This application requested that the audio and video recordings of the statements made by Rahul Gandhi, which have been presented as evidence, be matched with Rahul Gandhi's authentic voice.

Due to Vijay Mishra's absence, the court has scheduled the next hearing for March 27, when the arguments in the case will be presented.

On February 20, Gandhi, the MP from Raebareli, had appeared before the court and recorded his statement, claiming the case was filed against him due to political vendetta. He had also told the court that the audio and video evidence submitted by the complainant was incorrect and said he would present his own evidence.

The case stems from Gandhi's alleged objectionable remarks against then BJP president Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka election campaign.

Following the remarks, Mishra, a resident of Hanumanganj under Kotwali Dehat police station area in Sultanpur, filed the defamation complaint.

In December 2023, the court had issued a warrant against Gandhi after he failed to appear before it. He later surrendered before the court in February 2024 and was granted bail on two surety bonds of Rs 25,000 each.